


Like the Ocean

by elctrcktty



Category: The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, also she/her pronouns for sheik, basically three very niche mostly unrelated oneshots, i wrote these in 2014 when i first played oot and am just now posting them, just to clarify; zelda and sheik are the same person in this fic, mostly ruto/link bc i love them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 11:05:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16240343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elctrcktty/pseuds/elctrcktty
Summary: Love is complicated. Two princesses and a brave knight learn this (mostly) the hard way.





	1. Waves

The sound of water droplets hitting the pool below them was impossibly loud. Ruto could be surprisingly silent when she wanted to be, and Link, who never said much of anything, was eager to follow her example.  The temple walls around them were covered in algae and monster blood, but neither of them had the strength to summon any clean water to mop it up. Instead they sat on the dirtied balcony, soaking wet and exhausted.   


"There are so many monsters around," Ruto finally said. Her voice was calm, but Link was quick to notice the anger it concealed. "This temple was once so sacred. I never thought something like this would happen again."   


"Again?" Link signed. He shifted his body towards the sound of Ruto's voice so she'd know he was listening, but kept his eyes on the water below them, watching for the monsters he knew swirled in the depths. 

"When we were children," she began, "the Hylian Civil War was still burning through the land. Many people braved drowning to get here, to safety. The temple was covered in blood and tears for months. My father never let me come down to see it, but I could always sense it." Ruto shivered and stood up to touch the filthy walls, turning away from Link completely. When he looked up at her, the shine of the waves beneath them were still burned in his vision. He saw their texture in her skin.   


"Link, you never meant to accept my proposal, did you?" A glance back, to see his response.   


Her fins flickered like the waves.   


Link shook his head.   


Ruto laughed, harsh and short, and the sound echoed throughout the temple. She kept her face hidden from him as she turned towards the water once more.   


"We'd better get going. There are rooms we haven't searched yet, and there's sure to be keys in them."   


Link placed his hand on her arm, to draw her gaze back to him. "I'd like to do it over. I’d like to meet you again. If things were different..." Link signed rapidly. It was the most he had talked in hours. "I want to go back."   


"Don't we all," Ruto murmured as she leapt into the pool, creating ripples on the water's surface. Before she was submerged completely, Link caught sight of her face.   


Her eyes were wet.


	2. Salt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sheik and Ruto have a talk about the future.

Sheik stood at the edge of Lake Hylia, looking out onto the water. It was crystal blue and shimmering under the sunlight. Fish swam tentatively under the waves, a small but miraculous sign that the Sage’s magic had been restored to the temple. The water lapped at Sheik's feet, and she bent down to dip her fingers in it.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Ruto said as she sat at the water's edge just a few feet away. Her skin, which had been pale and veiny for months, was now a bright, healthy blue. Her eyes were bright and clear. She looked healthier than she had in years. "This is how the lake should be, right, Zelda?"

Sheik sighed. "Please don't call me that," she murmured. "I'm supposed to be in disguise."

Ruto laughed. "Of course, your highness. But Ganondorf isn't here anymore." She gave the water a light kick before jumping up and taking Sheik’s hands in her own. Sheik sighed and accepted the comfort. "What are you worried about?" Ruto continued. After a moment, she added - "Link?"

Sheik abruptly pulled her hands back. "Link? Of course not. What makes you think that?"

"Wow. Very smooth, Zee," Ruto said, eyes narrow. “It’s truly a wonder you’ve managed to deceive Ganon for so long if you’re that bad at lying.”

Sheik turned away from her and went back to petting the water. "Let's go swimming," she said. “It’s nice and cool today."

"Sheik," Ruto said, her eyes twinkling.

Sheik moved into a diving position. "I'll go first.”

"You like Link!" Ruto gleefully yelled. She wrapped her arms around Sheik’s neck and leaned into her. "Ooh, we can be in one big, happy relationship! Can three people get married at once?"

Sheik's eyes widened and she blushed furiously. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Ruto," she said, eyes locked onto the water even as her arms moved to return Ruto’s embrace. "Let's go swimming."

"All this time and you still suck at changing the subject. Honestly, princess, what will I do with you?" Ruto sighed. "I'm not jealous, if that's what you're worried about."

"It's not."

"Then what is it?"

Sheik closed her eyes.

"Is it the marriage thing? C'mon, we’ll both be queens in a few years. We can make up a new law or something."

"That's not it!" Sheik shouted. The fish swimming near their feet dashed away at the noise. Ruto sighed and slid out of the hug. A silence fell between them as they looked out to the temple in the distance and not at each other.

"I'm sorry," Ruto said simply. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sheik paused, and then pulled down her face mask. Like this, with blonde hair spilling over her chest and small teeth chewing on her bottom lip, Ruto thought she looked more like a vulnerable, scared little girl than a crown princess. "I guess talking about it wouldn’t do any harm" Zelda said, unravelling the bandages around her head. Ruto ran her fingers through that golden hair, brushing it gently. "I'm not worthy of him," Zelda muttered. "There's nothing else to say on the matter."

"Are you sure about that?" Ruto replied. When Zelda didn’t answer, she tried a different approach. "Why don't you think you're worthy of him?"

"I haven't told him who I am," Zelda said bitterly. "As long as it’s not safe - that is, until Ganondorf is defeated - I can't tell him who I am. He's worried sick about me and I..."

"You?" Ruto prompted, letting a hand fall to cup Zelda’s face.

"I'm just... Goddesses, this is all my fault." Zelda leaned into Ruto's touch, tears rolling down her face. Ruto let it happen, petting her princess’s hair until Zelda’s sobs quieted down.

"Why don't you ask him?" Ruto murmured. "See if he thinks you're worthy."

Zelda breathed deeply against Ruto’s fingers. "Alright. Tomorrow. I need to give him the arrows, anyway." She looked up at Ruto and smiled shyly. "You really don't mind?"

"Of course not," Ruto replied evenly as Zelda started wrapping up her face. "He's my fiancé, too."

"Who said he'll accept me?"

"Who says he won't?"

Sheik kissed Ruto gently. "Thank you."

"No problem," she said, turning back to the water. "So, swimming?"


	3. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vague continuation of chapter 1. They get another chance.

Zora's domain echoed with the chatter of dozens of Zoras speaking over one another. Ruto sat beside her father, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, scanning the room. The Zoras who passed the thrones bowed low to her father, and then nodded their heads in her direction while smiling serenely.

She was young again, she reminded herself. She would have to wait many more years before she was a queen once more.

The noise stopped abruptly. Ruto looked up from her lap, and lurched forward in her seat.

Standing at the entrance to Zora's domain, Link was clad in his childish Kokiri clothes, with a practice sword and a deku shield on his back. He looked young, Ruto thought. But then again, so did she.

Instantly the Zoras crowded him, pulling him aside and shaking his hands, thanking him, bowing, even. Ruto slid out of her seat and stood out of earshot of her father, waiting.

Link ran to her immediately.

The other Zoras returned to their celebrations swiftly, as if they knew they were not welcome to listen in. Ruto could see her father very pointedly not looking at them from the corner of her eye. She regarded Link curiously. "Why're you here? Everyone is celebrating the 'death' of Ganondorf," she asked bluntly. "Shouldn't you be with the other Kokiri, in the forest?"

Link responded by taking a small parcel out of his adventure pack. Beneath the cloth the Zora's Sapphire gleamed, lighting up the room with its pale blue glow.

Link presented the gem to Ruto slowly, and after she took it, awestruck, he raised his hands to sign;

"Can we have another chance?"

She responded by kissing his fingertips.


End file.
